Students React to the New CDL 001: Orientation to Learning Online

Meg Foster, QEP Assistant Coordinator, recently shared details about the new CDL 001: Orientation to Learning Online.  In the past few weeks, over twenty students have successfully completed pilot sessions of the Orientation, a two-week module that is delivered through Blackboard.

Developed by a team composed of instructors and administrators from the Center for Distance Learning, the Office of Student Affairs, student development, information resources, and the Quality Enhancement Plan, CDL 001 introduces students to two primary and critical areas:  Preparing to Be an Online Learner and Engaging with Resources. Each of these areas is subdivided into smaller learning units which provide information and instruction on topics such as Time Management, Barriers to Learning Online, and Academic Honesty. Participants are also asked to complete a variety of assignments that engage them directly with Blackboard tools and resources. This direct application of learning prepares students prior to their entrance into an online course, with the hope that discipline instructors can then focus on their subject matter rather than on the development of online learning skills.

As a part of the assessment of the new orientation, students in the pilot sessions have been asked to complete a brief satisfaction survey. Their responses and comments have been overwhelmingly positive. Of the twenty respondents, 100% indicate that they will encourage other students to complete CDL001 prior to enrolling in an online course. Additionally, 85% "strongly agreed" or "agreed" with the statement, "Now that I have completed CDL001, I feel confident about taking a distance learning class at JSRCC."

In their narrative comments, students expressed strong and positive feedback on the amount of learning and the introduction to support resources provided by the Orientation:

• "I would recommend that all first time starters of distance learning take the CDL001 orintation before starting their first online course."

• "I thouroughly [sic] enjoyed the course and I am excited to begin my journey as an online learner!"

• "The nature of the assignments are not just 'how to' instructions like I originally thought. There are some real life lessons to learn and good habits to build. This class is a hidden gem because I had no idea that it existed before 3 weeks ago."

The final sample comment is a delightful and important confirmation of the value of the new Orientation which did, in fact, roll out only a few weeks ago. When students themselves recognize the worth of an exercise and the impact that any new learning will have upon their own education, then the effort they expend is offset by the value of their achievement.

A few comments pointed to areas of possible improvement for CDL001:  two students requested more assignments that involve the use of library resources; one student requested that the Orientation be a credit course; another urged that students be required to complete the orientation prior to the start of any online course so that the two do not run concurrently. These comments will be reviewed further by the QEP Team and the developers of CDL001. 

As more students complete the Orientation, their feedback will continue to be assessed. Further, other assessments will be brought to bear on CDL001:  instructors' feedback on the learning units; the evaluation of students' success rates in distance classes following their successful completion of the Orientation; and telephone surveys of students who enroll but do not complete the session.

--Ghazala Hashmi

QEP Coordinator